Patagonia Inc. announced the newest members of its ambassador team – surfers Joe Curren, Lea Brassy, Devon Howard, Kyle Thiermann, and kiteboarder Julien Fillion.
“I'm really excited about the additions we have made to our roster this year. Individually speaking they are each great athletes, but it's their pursuit of their interests outside of the act of surfing that really sets them apart. It's finding people that have a vision for their personal lives that aligns withwhat we try to accomplish as a company that is the key,” notes Jason McCaffrey, Patagonia's surf director, “In making these additions we are able to able to have living, breathing personifications of the Patagonia philosophy representing the brand. This type of authenticity cannot be instantly manufactured when a contract is signed – but rather gets cultivated over years of working together. These additions are the result of years of collaboration and we're proud to be working with each and every one of them.”
Patagonia's ambassadors are known for not only being athletes, but for being integral to the company's product development and product testing. The company's ambassadors work closely with the design department to test, refine and validate products in the harshest and most remote locations on the planet.
“For years, I've admired Patagonia's dedication to making the best products for activities that I love. Their gear makes me want to play outside,” says surfer Joe Curren, “I appreciate Patagonia's responsible business philosophy, rich history, and the lifelong work of Yvon Chouinard. I look forward to producttesting and working with Patagonia on new projects, both as a surfer and photographer.”
“I chose to work with Patagonia because its environmental and social commitments arereal,” notes surfer Lea Brassey, “The company's approach to the surf industry is global, practical and realistic. I'm excited to show that it's possible to live Patagonia's values on a daily basis!”
Kiteboarder Julien Fillien says, “I feel my overall lifestyle of kiting, standup, and big wave surfing, fits perfectly with Patagonia. I'm honored to be associated with such a unique company.”
Patagonia looks forward to working with each of these five new ambassadors in incorporating their unique surfing and kiteboarding sensibilities into the company's ocean-focused product developments. Curren, Brassy, Howard, Thiermann and Fillion join Patagonia's team of surfing ambassadors that includes Gerry Lopez, the Malloys, Dan Ross, Wayne Lynch, Kohl Christensen and more.
